DENALI PARK, Alaska:  The warmer weather helped the spring road crew in their efforts to open the Denali Park Road, despite the unusually high amounts of snow that fell over the winter. The park will open the road to private vehicle traffic as far as mile 30, the Teklanika Rest Area, on April 30, 2022. 

The road will remain open, weather permitting, until May 20, 2022, when transit buses start running for the season. 

Park visitors continue to enjoy winter recreation activities like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, but warm weather and longer days are changing conditions rapidly from winter to spring. Visitors should expect to encounter snow, ice, and mud on some portions of the road, particularly in shaded sections.  

The road crew reported that some of the drifts are as high as 15 feet along the road. Moose, bear, Dall sheep, ptarmigans, and golden eagles have all been spotted along the first 30 miles of road.  

The Teklanika Rest Area is still wet but accessible. The restrooms at Teklanika and Savage will be available for public use. All campgrounds west of Savage will remain closed until May 20. There will be equipment working and dump trucks hauling on the roads from Savage to East Fork and road users are advised to be aware of their presence. Bike riders and hikers going west of Teklanika should be aware of construction traffic moving along the road.   

There is no bicycle/pedestrian access through the Pretty Rocks Landslide and the road is not plowed on the other side. The area from approximately Mile 45.4 to Mile 45.5 and 100 yards north and south of the Park Road in this section is closed to all entry. Anyone wishing to access parts of the road beyond the closure, which is accessible only by hiking around Polychrome Mountain, should expect challenging conditions and be prepared to be completely self-sufficient as emergency response capabilities will be very limited and no facilities beyond the slide are open.  

Weather conditions can change rapidly at this time of the year, and the road may open and close several times. Visitors are encouraged to contact the park for updated road and weather information.